Kataclysmic
by TheRazzleDazzleDame
Summary: Ermac never knew that a single person could inflict so much damage...ErmacXAshrah
1. Chapter 1

(This takes place in _Deception_ when Shujinko meets up with Ashrah again in Edenia and she asks him to retrieve her Kris blade from the Netherealm. If you were like me and didn't give a crap, the blade was never found for her. :D Does anyone else remember that? If not, then maybe I'm making it up. XD Oh well, this is AU anyway. Let's excersice our imaginations, hm?)

(Also, I know I have another story up that I need to working on - well, a lot of stories that I need to work on, but oh well - but I just like this one so...yeah. You might like it, you never know. ;D)

Ermac pwns!

I own nothing that is not mine.

* * *

Ashrah never thought of herself as stupid. She had always thought of something before she allowed herself to do it. So, she pondered, why was she back in the same place she had so desperately wanted out of?

_Oh yes, _She looked down at her empty hand._The blade I've lost is still in this place._ Ashrah had no choice but to go back to the Netherealm. Kris was still there. The sword that had helped her ascend from Hell had somehow stayed there. She had argued with herself for days on whether to go back or leave it. What if she somehow was trapped there again? Would she have to battle her way back up? The thought exhausted her.

Ashrah sighed as she scanned the massive area surrounding her. Nothing could be seen except maroon colored earth and corpses lying about. How she despised the Netherealm. Enemies were everywhere, whether one knew so or not. It was a fight to just _be_ there, minding one's business.

After a few moments of staring, Ashrah, deciding it was a waste of time to simply stare, started walking in some random direction. She had no idea where she could have dropped the precious blade. For all she knew, someone, or _something_, could have found it. If it came to that, she would fight to kill to regain it. She _needed _that blade.

The white clad demon made her way through miles and miles of darkness and the ever so present rivers of magma. But, to her annoyance found nothing even close to the Kris. There was a desperation building in her as she continued her search. What if she never found it? What if she couldn't leave the Netherealm without it? Just as Ashrah was about to lose all hope, she saw a figure ahead of her. It looked familiar…

Ashrah found a large boulder to hide behind, hoping she hadn't already been detected. The she-demon focused her eyes on the figure. He seemed to be wearing red and black with black wrapping around his face. The sight of the figure sent Ashrah on edge. Why? He looked familiar, yes, but from where?

Just as she asked herself the question, she remembered who he was. Anger boiled in her chest as she stood, readying herself to attack the demon.

_It's that damned demon Ermac,_ she thought as she began walking steadily toward the unsuspecting warrior.

Ashrah had been defeated by the red wearing "demon" when she was on her quest to remove herself from the Netherealm. Unfortunately for Ashrah, even if she would have defeated Ermac, it would have done nothing for her because he was, in fact, not a demon. And for some reason she couldn't get that fact through her head.

Ashrah stomped her foot as she stopped a few feet away from her soon to be opponent, hoping to get his attention. When that didn't work, she resorted to speaking. Or, yelling, more like.

"Demon, I think we have some unfinished…" Ashrah stopped when she saw what was in her enemy's hands.

The Kris.

Ermac had for some reason ended up in the Netherealm after teaching Kenshi telekinesis. It didn't really matter, because for some reason he knew he could easily escape the hellish realm. The warrior just happened to walk by an unusual blade on his way out, and was examining it. The thing seemed useless due to the structure of the blade itself. It was curved like a retreating snake, and on top of that it wasn't very long. Of course, Ermac wasn't really one for swords; he was better with a battle axe or a hammer…

Just as he was about to drop the ugly thing and be on his way, a woman's voice rang out behind him. Ermac turned to see a woman dressed in all white with a large hat covering part of her face due to the veil attached to it. He absently looked at the blade in his hand and back at the woman.

They oddly seemed to be made for each other.

Ermac hadn't really paid that much attention to what she had said, so he asked the obvious question. "What?"

The woman seemed shocked by something, so Ermac spoke again, except louder. "What?"

She seemed to snap out of her dazed state and gave Ermac a hateful glare. Or, what he could see of a hateful glare. The woman started to hiss as she spoke.

"Demon, I hope you know that is my sword."

Ermac cocked an eyebrow. Demon? Him? Sure he didn't exactly look human with his glowing green eyes, but that was one of the side effects of having multiple souls within oneself. "We are no demon, we - "

"Silence! I don't need your lies. Return my sword to me so I shall cut you down for what you've done to me."

Ermac simply stared, his confusion completely unhidden. "We…don't understand. What have we done to you?" Ermac had no idea who he was talking to. Had he met her before? Surely he would have remembered such a hat…

"I am Ashrah! A demon trying to ascend from the Netherealm with the help of the blade you have in your evil hands. You defeated me in kombat." Ashrah's anger seemed to only grow as each syllable left her mouth. Ermac couldn't help but feel angry himself. He may have _been_ evil, but no longer. He had changed, and there it was, some strange she-demon was calling him an evil demon.

"Well _Ashrah_, we assure you we are no demon." He paused as he gave her a quick study. "Also, we don't remember you."

Ashrah's mouth twisted into an angry grimace as she knelt down into a fighting stance. "Demon, I hope you know that I have hated you since the day we fought! You may have won that time, but this day you will fall."

Ermac sighed as he threw the sword in his hands to the ground. "Alright _demon_," he made sure the word was as mocking as possible, "we will see who falls."

Ashrah felt her jaw clench at the word demon. How dare he!

With a short battle cry, Ashrah charged with her left hand forward, her hand flat and horizontal. She swiftly swatted downward at Ermac's shoulder, feeling confident she had hit her target. When she felt nothing but air swoosh past her hand however, she quickly held her arms to her chest in defense.

Ermac had dodged the movement easily with a quick step backwards. He stepped forward again to break the woman's defense with a punch of his palm to her chin. Surprisingly, she was faster than she looked and side stepped the attack, kicking Ermac off his feet with a round house kick. Ermac caught himself before he landed on his back and stood in a crouched position.

Ashrah watched as the warrior's hands began glowing a bright green, seeming to be even brighter against his black gloves. His eyes became brighter as he gave a quick flick of his wrists.

Before Ashrah knew it, she was face to face with the ground. Hissing in pain instead of giving herself a moment to recover, she began to stand, only to fly through the air again and land on her back. The demon cursed under her breath, realizing she couldn't move.

When she heard foot steps coming toward her, she began to worry. He would surely kill her. Why he hadn't last time was pure luck, but the second time would surely bring her to her death. She shut her eyes, waiting for the final blow.

"If you promise not to attack us again, we will let you go with no further harm." The words caused Ashrah to literally gasp. What was going on?

"W-what?" Ashrah asked, dumbfounded.

"We will let you go if you promise not to attack us any further. We have something to do, so we can't drag this out any further."

Ashrah only blinked in response. How could this be? He was evil! "But…you…" She stopped when she realized he was walking off. She felt anger rise in her again. Was she just some nuisance to him? Surely he wasn't that powerful. Of course, he had thrown her so easily with some strange power.

"Wait," she demanded. He paused and turned his head. Ashrah clenched her jaws together and grabbed her Kris blade. "This isn't finished just because you say it is! I will not fall to you!'

She heard Ermac sigh as he turned completely around. "We were afraid of this." Before Ashrah could prepare for an attack, she was floating in the air. She screamed without realizing it - how could he be so fast?

Ashrah was about to say something, but cut herself off with another scream as she began to fly through the air. As soon as she hit the ground she fell unconscious.

Ermac sighed again as he walked over to the woman to make sure he hadn't killed her somehow. He still didn't remember her he realized as he knelt down, but Ermac had the strong feeling she wasn't evil, just annoying.

Before Ermac stood back up, he decided to take a look at the somewhat crazed woman who had attacked him. With caution, he lifted the white tinted veil*, throwing it over the large hat hoping it wouldn't fall back over her face. Of course, the hat was so large the veil wasn't long enough to catch onto the top of it and stay, so it fell back down. Ermac grabbed the veil again and repeated the action.

It fell again.

Ermac felt a sudden rush of anger as he grabbed the hat and began yanking it off -

"What are you doing?" A familiar voice questioned, causing Ermac to stop dead in his tracks. The green eyed warrior stared down at the body before him, noticing dark colored eyes glaring up at him rather heatedly. Ermac could only stare with his mouth gaping. What _was_ he doing?

"We…were, uh…" For some reason Ermac was at a loss of words. What was wrong? He could have just explained that…

He looked at the woman's seething eyes.

…never mind.

Ermac cleared his throat, along with his head, and stood. "We were…leaving. Do not bother us again."

Ashrah growled as she stood shakily. "I'm not done, demon! I - "

Ermac felt his eye twitch as he spun around. "You _what_? Woman, we have business to attend to that does _not_ involve you. We suggest you leave us alone before we get angry."

The she-demon seemed shocked by the small outburst, because she didn't say anything as Ermac began walking away again. Ermac sighed in silent gratitude to the Elder gods when;

"I will destroy you," was all she said before Ermac felt something jab into his shoulder. Ermac gasped as he moved out of the sword's reach, feeling the blade pull away from his body.

_Great_, he thought, _we've been stabbed with that ugly sword…_

* * *

*I know Ashrah only has a veil on the _back _of her hat, but let's just pretend she has it covering her face, too.

(Alright! Just remember this _is_ AU. I'm not that good at matching my fanfics with the actual time line, so why try? It would end horribly anyway! :D)

Red


	2. Chapter 2

(Thank you all who reviewed.)

I don't own anything that is not mine.

* * *

Ermac slowly turned toward the crazed woman behind him. She had actually stabbed him. Why? There was no need. He was _going _to let her _go_. The green eyed warrior ran a gloved hand over his injured shoulder and felt immense pain run down the whole appendage. Ermac couldn't help but notice a strange feeling welling up inside him as he peered at the white clad woman standing only a few feet away from him. She was asking for a beating…

"Woman," Ermac said in a surprisingly calm voice. He didn't expect that. _Maybe _he wasn't as mad as he thought he was?

…The next thing Ermac knew Ashrah was flying dangerously through the air toward the closest river of lava, which happened to be a couple of hundred feet away. He frantically tried to think of a way to catch her before she hit the molten rock. Ermac concentrated on her body and held out his arms, generating enough energy to throw an elephant.

Then, with one swift motion, threw her back toward himself. Ermac felt all of his energy literally leave his body as he let his hold of Ashrah go. The warrior hadn't used that much energy in a while, and it had taken it's toll. He was having a hard time breathing regularly, something that occurred as soon as he put his arms back to his sides. Ermac hissed in a sharp breath as his shoulder began to sting. He felt blood run down his back and side, soaking a small strip of his clothing. Great. _Just_ what he needed in the Netherealm.

Ermac looked up to see where Ashrah had landed.

…Or, where she was _going_ to land. Which, funnily enough, was going to be on Ermac if he didn't move. Of course the telekinetic fighter _couldn't _move. That didn't stop him from trying, though. Ermac managed to weakly move his legs just before the woman's body slammed into his chest.

If the loud crack that shook his body didn't hurt, him hitting the ground sure as hell did. Ermac choked out some sort of cough as he tried to regain some sort of composure. To no avail, of course. His ribs were damaged, hence the loud crack that exploded in his ears a few seconds earlier. Ermac grit his teeth together as he pushed himself up with his elbows, allowing Ashrah to fall off of him.

Ermac looked down at the woman he had just saved. Was it really worth it? He now had an unknown amount of broken ribs, a gash in his shoulder and was drained of his power. All for some stupid she-demon who picked a fight with him. He knew he was a "good guy" but he had gone completely _soft_. How had he managed to end up injured while she hadn't a scratch on her? Ermac stiffened at a terrifying thought -

- Maybe that was her power. Maybe she only _seemed _to be annoying and slightly dense when she _really_ was a genius fighter. She had tricked him into sparing her, then she somehow twisted it so he was the one who sustained injuries. Ermac felt his breath catch in his throat as the woman stirred. She was only a few inches from him and he was so weak he couldn't even stand.

The woman's eyes fluttered open, and she automatically sat up, throwing her head in all directions, searching for an enemy. Ermac still wasn't breathing. Maybe she couldn't sense him if he sat perfectly still…

"What are you staring at, _demon_?" She spat as she glared at Ermac's rigid form. She took a moment to study the man and her whole demeanor changed. "What happened? You're bleeding from your mouth."

Ermac hadn't noticed the blood dripping from his wraps and down his neck. It wasn't that much blood, but it had somehow made it's way down to his collar. He must have been hit harder in the ribs than he thought. The warrior swallowed, almost gagging. He had never cared much for the taste of blood. Ermac wiped a hand over his neck, then over one of his pant legs. He didn't have time to worry about his injuries.

He had to get away from that woman.

Ashrah, apparently not liking Ermac's silence, grabbed the warrior's collar and yanked him closer to herself. "Now I can settle the score."

Ermac found himself getting tired of hearing Ashrah's voice. That probably had something to do with the she-_demon_ (for she was a demon and he was _not_ a demon) always having something to say about some fight she had supposedly had with him, her stupid sword, and that Ermac was a demon. He had even saved her - well, after he had tried to kill her. But that wasn't exactly his fault…

In any case, Ermac was pissed off.

Ermac slapped Ashrah's hand away from his collar. As he was trying to regain enough energy to stand, he decided to say a few words to the crazy woman who wanted to kill him. "We are leaving now; do _not_ follow and do _not_ try anything. We will spare you if you do as we say." He paused as he gave Ashrah a meaningful stare. "We _will kill you _if you try anything." Surprisingly she didn't say anything as Ermac stood and began walking away.

The red clad warrior was, for reasons unknown, reminded of a certain time he had shared with Kenshi. The two had been training for two days practically nonstop. They would have gone on longer if Kenshi hadn't of started complaining about a "muscle cramp". Ermac had agreed to a break, however. Even he was feeling exhausted. There was a comfortable silence as they sat - well, that was until Kenshi started laughing. Ermac raised his head from his meditative state and simply stared, waiting for an explanation. When one didn't come, he cleared his throat suggestively.

The blind man laughed again before giving any sort of answer and Ermac felt like rolling his eyes.

"_What is so funny?" _Ermac had asked. Kenshi chuckled as he turned his head in Ermac's direction.

"_You're just so…I don't know. Easily ruffled. You wouldn't think it, the way you meditate all the time, but you are."_ He paused and laid back against a rock behind him. _"I'd hate to _really_ piss you off is all."_ Ermac stared, wide eyed, at his blind companion.

What did that mean? He had never been the one to be blinded by rage. Ermac, even though wanting more of an explanation, let it lie. He had a lot to teach Kenshi and sitting around talking wouldn't accomplish anything.

Of course, later in their time together they would spend whole days doing nothing but talking about each other's past experiences. Kenshi was Ermac's first _actual _friend. Something that could never be gained while under Shao Kahn's rule.

_We need to leave this place,_ he thought as he noticed how numb he was. There wasn't really any time to be thinking about the past when he needed to focus on the present. Ermac had forgotten how much the Netherealm drained him. Especially when he had to fend off some crazy woman with an even crazier hat…

"Wait," Ashrah's voice cut through the air and Ermac flinched. He was not going to turn to her. He wasn't. If he did, he would do everything in his power to kill her. So, he continued to walk. Ermac needed to find a way out of there as quickly as possible or he would pass out and be at the mercy of whatever was in the Netherealm. Which, as he imagined, would be the end of him.

The she-demon said something else but Ermac blocked her voice out of his head. He didn't want to fight her again. Actually, he doubted he even _could _fight her in the condition he was in. He had a feeling however that if he had to, he would find a way to finish her off. She had grated on his nerves enough. More than anyone had in a long time when he thought about it…

"_Ermac_," Ashrah yelled, causing the warrior to stop. A mistake he realized as he began to fall to his knees. The woman was running toward him which, to put it simply, made Ermac prone to panic. He somehow stopped himself from falling and stood in a fighting position. He didn't need his powers to defend himself. He would do it the old fashioned way.

Ashrah had no idea why, but she had been saved by a demon. Well, she _thought_ he was a demon. He said he wasn't, but it could always be a lie. He didn't look to be the honest type. She at first didn't care that he had saved her and was going to kill him anyway. He deserved it for defeating her before. Then, after he swatted her hand away, she noticed how much blood he had on him. Her hand was covered in red, along with the cuff of her sleeve. He had gone that far to save her? Even though he was the one who put her in danger, he was the one who had saved her. Ashrah then decided, in a split second decision, to find more out about the demon Ermac.

So, she started to try and get his attention. When that didn't work with words - even though she saw him pause momentarily when she first started to yell - Ashrah thought that the physical approach would work. Well, she yelled his name, which got his attention and even made him stop walking away. As she started running toward him however, he turned around and crouched into a fighting stance. Ashrah stopped and held her hands up defensively, even though she knew she could easily over-power him at that moment. He seemed completely drained of energy.

"I don't want to fight," she started, cautiously stepping forward. "I just want to ask you some questions." Ermac's eyes narrowed and Ashrah decided to wait to take another step.

"Really? If you did not want to fight, then why did you attack us?" Ashrah carefully thought of a response that wouldn't give the man a reason to attack.

"I…was alarmed when I saw you with my sword and…" She paused as she realized something. He _still_ didn't remember the time they had fought. The nerve! "Wait, you don't remember our battle?"

Ermac sighed and lowered his arms weakly. "_No_, we don't remember ever fighting you."

Ashrah felt her eye twitch. The cocky bastard! "Oh, I see. I guess it would be hard for someone to remember a fight they had won so easily." Ermac cocked a dark eyebrow, but said nothing. She wished he would say something instead of standing there, looking stupid. "…That's it! I don't know why you just saved me, but it doesn't matter! I'm going to end your life!"

"Oh, _really_?" Ermac started as his expression changed from confused to angry. "_We _do not know why you keep insisting that _we _have ever fought you! _Why _are you attacking us? We don't _want _your sword and we don't _want _to waste our time fighting you."

There was a silence. Ashrah was so insulted she could do nothing more than stare with her mouth open. Ermac sighed tiredly and began to turn around to start walking again. Ashrah was not having that, however. She threw an energy sphere - a move she called _heavenly light_ - and watched as it hit Ermac in his back. The warrior cried out as he fell forward.

Ashrah walked over to the unconscious figure and knelt down to finish what she had started. This was it! She would finally kill the demon -

"Don't even think about it," a voice hissed in her ear. Ashrah was shocked that someone had gotten so close to her without her noticing. The woman felt a cold blade press against her neck. She glanced down at the weapon and noticed it was a _katana_.

"Who are you?" Ashrah hissed back, almost just as hatefully. She was so close…

"I'm Kenshi," the stranger started. "And this is my friend, so I _suggest _you keep your hands off of him."

* * *

(I know Kenshi probably doesn't act exactly like that, but I like him like that and he'll stay that way in this story. _Ha_ ha ha. I think it's cool!…*ahem* Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. :D)

Red


	3. Chapter 3

(A/N: I'm back! *grins* I would like to apologize for the delay. Life seems to catch up with me sometimes…Yeah…what a lame thing say, huh? :x)

I don't own anything that isn't mine. Yeah.

* * *

Ermac awoke with a start, and instantly regretted it. He slowed his breathing, finding the pain in his ribs bearable after doing so. What had happened? And more importantly, where was he? Ermac looked around what seemed to be a room, feeling like he had been there before.

"I've never seen you sleep so hard," a familiar voice said, filling the room. Ermac turned his head to where the voice came from and resisted the urge to smile.

"Kenshi, what are you…" He paused as a loud noise echoed into the room. It sounded like someone banging against a wall. "What is that?"

Kenshi smirked, something that let Ermac know that whatever it was, it wasn't good. "Let's just say I…showed some mercy."

Ermac heard the muffled sound of a woman's voice. He felt his heart stop. "You don't mean to tell us you - "

"What? _You _didn't kill her, so I thought if _I _did you'd be upset with me." Kenshi sighed as he leaned back against the wall. Ermac shook his head.

"We should have killed her when we had the chance, otherwise we…" The telekinetic warrior winced as he inhaled. His ribs were causing him far more trouble than he wanted. Kenshi stood from his sitting position and knelt down beside Ermac.

"I patched up your arm, but your ribs are another story. You're gonna have to rest for a while, and that's only _after _I get someone to give you a check up." Ermac gave his friend a "we-don't-think-so-look". The blind man couldn't see it of course, but he could sense it. "You know good and well that I'm right."

Ermac sighed - a small one, due to his ribs - and looked at the wall where the thumping noises were still being made. "And the woman?"

Kenshi smirked. "I'll let her go."

"What if she comes back to kill us?"

"Look," Kenshi started. "I don't think she will. _I'm_ here, and I kicked her ass easily enough…" The blind warrior laughed. "Oh, well, I can see why _you're_ worried if she beat you. Been slacking off?"

Ermac snorted. "No, she just…caught us off guard." The battle had been a strange one, to say the least. He hadn't had such injuries since…in a while. He looked to see his friend grinning at him. "What is it?"

"How did you get distracted?" Ermac didn't like the suggestive tone in Kenshi's voice. Not one bit.

"Kenshi, she's a _demon_ for the Elder gods' sake."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Ermac was going to respond, but noticed something that made him uneasy. "What?" Kenshi asked as his friend grew quiet.

"She stopped making sound." Ermac said quietly. Kenshi shrugged.

"Maybe she got tired. I was wondering when she would." Ermac continued to listen, not agreeing with Kenshi's theory. It was far too quiet. Kenshi should have known that, though. Since his sight was gone, he had excellent hearing.

"Are you sure?" Ermac asked, trying to urge his friend to _use_ his special hearing. Kenshi sighed as he stood, but said nothing. He slowed his breathing, a sign he was listening for any odd noises.

"She's still in the room, that's for sure." He said as he turned back around. "I can hear her breathing."

"She must be plotting something, then." Ermac mumbled. The woman was _so _exasperating. However, as exasperating as she was, she still was a threat. Ermac had no idea who she was or what her intentions were. If she had any. As far as he could tell she was insane.

"You worry far too much," Kenshi laughed as he casually headed to the door. "I'll be back in a bit. You just rest."

"We were about to leave." Ermac said quickly. He didn't want to stay and cause Kenshi any further trouble. "Really, we - " The green eyed warrior pushed himself off from the cot he was laying on, realizing too late how much of a bad idea that was. He did everything in his power not to yell out in pain. His ribs were far worse than he first thought they were.

"Yeah. You're not going anywhere until I get someone out here to check on you." Kenshi said, worry lacing his words. "Which will be soon, so don't worry."

"…Kenshi." Ermac couldn't really form a full sentence without sounding pathetic, so he settled on Kenshi's name. That was a good idea - he sounded even more pathetic.

The blind man's frown deepened. "I'll be right back."

Before Emrac could voice a reply, Kenshi was gone. The telekinetic warrior felt a sudden uneasiness in himself and did his best to make himself comfortable. Which was no easy feat, by the way. "Dammit…"

There was a calm quietness that followed Kenshi's departure, something Ermac was grateful for. Maybe he could sleep. How that would help his condition he had no clue. Rest was helpful, he knew, but it never did much for him. Maybe others were aided to recovery with sleep but not him. He was always anxious. That might have had something to do with the fact that he had a hundred souls in his body, too…

Just as he shut his eyes, however, he heard footsteps. He knew it wasn't Kenshi, so that meant one thing.

The crazy woman was loose.

Ermac instantly went on full alert. There was no way he could defend himself from anything at that moment. Especially a delusional she-demon who wanted to kill him for some reason. Ermac waited breathlessly as the footsteps grew closer.

A white clad figure stood in the doorway. "Ermac," it called in a feminine voice. Ermac felt his body tense, causing his sides to scream in protest. When he didn't answer, the figure stepped into the room. "Look, I - "

"Why can't you just leave?" He asked, trying to sound as calm as he could. Why was he so…scared? She wasn't a big threat, but his condition left him helpless. He could say that he'd never been in such a position.

The woman sighed. "I just wanted to ask you something." She almost sounded apologetic, Ermac noticed. Was she sorry for what she'd done? Why would a crazy person be sorry?

"What?" He growled. The situation was starting to grate on his nerves more than frighten him. The woman - Ashrah, was it? - shifted on her feet, nervously.

"…Why do you say 'we' and 'us'? Can't you say _I_?" The question was totally unexpected. Ermac had been asked that question before, more than once, actually, but it caught him off guard.

"We are composed of souls - more than one," he emphasized the more than one part, knowing that his explanation could get confusing for the crazy demon. "So we are more than one person in one body."

"But," she started, ignoring the obvious jab at her intelligence. "You can't say I? Not at all?"

Why did that matter? Ermac sighed, anger taking over. "Why do you want to know?" Ashrah shrugged, looking almost humble.

"I just…thought it was odd is all."

"_You_ call _us_ odd?" He started, feeling his chest start to burn. Why couldn't she just leave? It was as simple as walking. Literally.

"I'm sorry, Ermac." She spat out, clearly aggravated. "I realize now that when I fought you before you weren't what you are today."

Ermac was silent, his anger dying away. What was he supposed to say to that? Sure, the woman had tried to kill him, but she sounded so sincere he couldn't find the anger that had just been with him.

"I'll leave now," she said quietly, turning to the door. Ermac was fine with that. He didn't want to see her ever again…

Then Kenshi came back and ruined it all. He seemed to come out of nowhere, grabbed Ashrah by one of her arms and pushed her back into the room. "Alright, here's how this is going to go." He paused, tightening his grip on the woman's arm. "Since I can't find anyone to help my friend here, since I don't know of anyone who can, and since you're the one who caused his injuries anyway, you're going to make sure he's nursed back to his full health.'

Ashrah began to decline when Ermac's voice loudly made itself present.

"No, that's not necessary," there was a desperation in Ermac's voice. "Really."

But Kenshi wasn't listening. He shoved Ashrah, meaning he wanted her agreement. "You don't really have a choice in the matter, you know." He paused, flashing a grin. "You said you were sorry, right? There are no hard feelings anymore."

Except for Ermac's. But that didn't matter. He was just there to be tortured, apparently.

Ashrah sighed, looking down at Ermac. "…Alright."

Ermac wanted to kill something at that moment. To be more exact, Kenshi. He wanted to kill Kenshi.

* * *

(So, the plot "thickens" if that's what you want to call it. I dunno. I hope you enjoyed it. This story isn't as serious as my other one, so don't expect anything….well, serious. Ha ha. Ok. If there are any typos, I am sorry. If there are any other mistakes, they're probably meant to be there. Kenshi is out of character, I know. Tell me if it's annoying you, and I'll see what I can do about it. O.o I hope to see you next chapter! Thanks for reading.)


	4. Chapter 4

(Thank you guys for the awesome reviews! You make me so happy, hee hee. I am not trying to rhyme…)

I don't own anything that isn't mine.

* * *

Ashrah felt like running. Strike that, running like _hell_. She had never felt so cornered…

…and scared. The look on the demon - for he looked like a demon at that moment - Ermac's face, or what she could see of it, was enough to make the strongest of warriors wither. His eyes seemed to glow ten times brighter, yet somehow didn't give any light to the room. If anything the room had grown darker.

Of course, the sun _had_ gone down. Ashrah repressed a sigh. The Kenshi fellow had left to hunt for food. The man lived in the middle of nowhere, so he _had _to hunt. Ashrah absently wondered how the blind man and the green eyed warrior had met. It was odd, to say the least. What was even stranger, though, was the fact that such a warrior as Ermac had _any _friends. He was evil, she was sure. Even though he wasn't a demon - something she was still questioning - he wasn't on the forces of good. She thought back to when he had spared her life. Ok, he wasn't evil anymore, but he had been.

Ashrah dared a glance directly at the man's face. She had to focus on his eyes to figure out what he was looking at. Actually, she didn't care as long as he wasn't looking at her that way. He was staring at the far wall, right behind her. Good. She had no reason to be nervous.

Until he growled. "Is there something wrong?" His eyes flicked to her. The combined fright of the sound of his voice and the glare on his face chilled the she-demon to the bone. She hadn't noticed it before, but his voice sounded like a hundred voices put into one throat. He had said he was made of many souls, and now she was wondering how that was possible. When Ashrah realized he was waiting for a reply, she quickly fought to speak. For some reason she was having trouble finding any words.

"N-nothing. I was just thinking…" She was surprised to see Ermac's head cock to the side ever so slightly. Was he wanting to know what she was thinking about? Why?

"About what?" His voice didn't sound as frightening, but it was still scary. She wished she hadn't of noticed the multi-voice thing…

"How did you and…Kenshi," the name felt strange leaving her lips, "become friends?"

Ermac seemed taken aback by the question. He blinked a few times, clearly surprised, but spoke as if he wasn't caught off guard. "It just happened."

Ashrah wasn't exactly pleased with the answer, but didn't think prodding would be a good idea. Her only response was a nod. She expected the conversation to end there.

But it didn't. "Why would you like to know?" Ashrah swallowed hard, hoping he didn't hear how much fear was in the sound. How was she going to explain that she just wanted to know? She could just say it, but what if he got mad?

_Calm down,_ she thought. _He's injured, there's nothing to worry about._

"I just wanted to know. It's odd for someone like you to have a…an acquaintance as close as you and Kenshi are." Ashrah waited with bated breath for the warrior's response. She watched his face intently, looking for any sign of anger. Luckily she didn't see any.

"Why is it odd?" The anger was in his voice, not his face. Ashrah felt her body tense at his defensive words. "What is wrong with having someone to depend on?"

Ashrah couldn't even begin to answer. She had had sisters, but that was in the past…it seemed so long ago. Too long ago to even remember. "I didn't mean to offend, I just was curious as to how you two even met." She paused and shrugged. "You two don't seem compatible in any way."

"We trained him in telekinesis." He said curtly. Ashrah nodded to herself, somewhat expecting the answer. Well, not that exact answer - she had no idea Kenshi knew telekinesis - but something like it. However, Ermac didn't seem to be the teacher type. She absently wondered how the training was done. Kenshi probably drove his teacher crazy…

"We are tired." Ermac said, stopping any of Ashrah's thoughts. She looked up at him and was surprised to see his arms around himself. "We would…like to go to bed." Ashrah didn't like the pause in his sentence. He sounded as if he was in pain.

The she-demon stood, making her way toward Ermac's sitting form. "Do you need anything?" She had no idea what she was going to do. What could she do? The only person she had ever really treated was herself.

"No," he breathed out. He sounded as if he was having a hard time breathing. Ashrah stepped closer. Cautiously.

"Let me help you lie down," she said as she knelt near him. Ermac held up a hand, stopping the woman from getting any closer. Ashrah noticed how tightly his other arm was wrapped around his upper waist.

"We said _no_." Ermac almost yelled. The man seemed surprised by his outburst, and put his other arm back around himself. "Just…go to bed."

Ashrah frowned despite herself. "I was told to take care of you, and whether you like it or not, I'm going to do just that." Also, she was being held hostage. And even though she was a competent fighter, she didn't want to chance a fight with that Kenshi fellow. Telekinesis wasn't something she wanted to face ever again after her fights with Ermac.

Ermac let out a shallow sigh. "We can handle our," he paused, visibly wincing, "selves." Ashrah didn't like the way he was breathing, but didn't know what she could do about it. How was she supposed to fix broken ribs? Especially to someone who wasn't willing to cooperate…

Wordlessly, the woman grabbed Ermac's shoulders and began gently pushing him down to the floor. She was going to see how bad the damage was, even if Ermac didn't want her to. The man began pushing against her, removing his arms from his sides to do so, but lost his resolve the closer he got to the floor. He gasped, pulling one arm back around his upper torso, leaving the other up. His fingers weakly wrapped around Ashrah's wrist, not really having any affect.

"St-stop," he choked out. Ashrah felt her eyebrows furrow as aggravation began to rise in her chest.

"No, _you_ stop. Just lie down, dammit!" It had been a while since Ashrah had had any real human contact, and she had almost forgotten how stubborn men were. Demon or non-demon. "There." She had successfully put Ermac on the floor on his back.

The man was furious, but could do nothing. He looked up at the demon with as heated a glare as he could give at that moment. "We don't need your help…"

"Uh huh." Ashrah said, not really listening to what was being said to her. She cautiously began moving her hand to Ermac's collar. "It _is _your ribs bothering you, right?"

"..Yes." Ermac said breathlessly. He had shut his eyes, something Ashrah was grateful for.

"That's what I thought." She tried to sound as conversational as possible. Ashrah needed to check the man's injuries, so that meant she had to remove the top half of his clothing. And she doubted he would just let her do that. The woman _touched _the warrior's collar…

…and all hell broke loose.

* * *

(Yay! Another chapter. :D I hope you all liked it.)

Red


	5. Chapter 5

(Sorry for the cliffhanger, people! I didn't even realize. I forget that you don't know what's going to happen, I just automatically think that if I know what's going on, everyone does. XD I'm horrible! Ok, I'll shut up now and let you all read…)

I do not own anything.

* * *

Kenshi had never thought of Ermac as a very self-conscious person. Sure, he always made sure to bathe alone, or was always dressed in a matter of seconds, but Kenshi never actually thought of his friend as self-conscious.

That was, however, until he stepped into his hut and heard shouting. Kenshi's first thought was that the she-demon had attacked his friend and he immediately started to act.

"Wait," Ashrah said, sounding extremely angry. Kenshi stopped, and waited as she had instructed. She had better have a good explanation as to why she was attacking his friend. The woman took a few needed breaths before continuing. "I need to check his injuries - "

"Get the hell off of us!" Ermac roared, causing Kenshi to flinch. Wow, somebody was _not _happy…

"Shut up," Ashrah demanded, her voice just as harsh as Ermac's was. "I need to see his injuries," Ashrah said, the tone in her voice saying it all. Kenshi smirked as he knelt down closer to Ermac's pinned down form.

"Ermac, let her undress you." The room grew quiet, something Kenshi didn't expect. Maybe he worded that wrong…

"Kenshi," Ermac started. He sounded out of breath, something that bothered Kenshi. The blind man waited as Ermac caught his breath and continued. He seemed to be doing a lot of waiting lately…

"Get her off of us, please." The pleading undertone in his voice made Kenshi feel immensely sorry for his friend…and, well, rather amused at his plight. Amusement won out, and Kenshi patted Ashrah on the shoulder reassuringly.

If only Kenshi could see the look on Ermac's face, he would savor it forever.

"I'll be here if you need assistance," Kenshi stood, and headed toward the door.

Ashrah made a confused noise in the back of her throat. "What…where are you going?" Kenshi chuckled.

"I'll be outside. I need to meditate - "

"_Kenshi_!" Ermac yelled, rather uncharacteristically. Kenshi was downright shocked. Ermac had never yelled at him like that. Well, sort of. He had yelled at him before, just not in such a panicked voice. Was it that bad? Was this woman that revolting? Somehow, the blind man doubted it. She had a very nice voice. Deep, smooth…

Kenshi heard a thump, then the sound of fabric hitting the floor. He smirked, and walked outside. Ermac had finally given up. Good. The idiot was going to really hurt himself if he continued being so stubborn.

Ashrah was beyond angry. She had finally gotten the idiot to lay down; she practically had to sit on him - carefully, she didn't want to hurt him - to get him to listen to her. Ashrah, her knees carefully placed away from the man's injured sides by a good inch or two, grabbed Ermac's collar and began undoing his shirt. She heard Kenshi exit, something she was glad of. The demon then threw the shirt to her left and bit her bottom lip to stop herself from seeming too surprised.

The man's sides weren't too badly bruised, but the purple patches were bad enough. How was she going to help him? She had no medical experience whatsoever. Ashrah sighed, allowing her shoulders to slump.

"Are you done?" Ermac asked quietly. Ashrah began to glare; what was his problem? She was trying to help! Why the hell wouldn't he let her help him? It was getting ridiculous.

Ashrah moved her focus from the man's body to his face. "No," was her simple and curt reply. Ermac's eyes were slightly narrowed, and Ashrah snorted. "I'm not frightened of you."

_At least, not right now_. There was nothing to be scared of if he was too injured to stand. But when the man was in full health, he was formidable. Beyond that, even. Well, to Ashrah at least. She had never thought of herself as weak by any means, but fighting Ermac had put her in a place where she was reconsidering her abilities. She needed to train. Heavily. She had felt better with the Kriss, but now that it was gone, she had an uneasy feeling. It was rather pathetic to be dependant on a weapon. Yes, she had her powers as a demon, but she hadn't relied heavily upon those powers in a while…

Ashrah felt a slight tremor beneath her, shaking her out of her melancholic thoughts. She studied Ermac's masked face, trying to find anything. "Ermac," she said softly. He continued to glare at her, wordlessly. Aggravated, she tried again. "Listen, I can't help you if you won't let me." Her voice was surprisingly calm.

He gave himself away, however. Ashrah noticed a slight movement in his jaw when his body shook again. His wrappings moved as his jaws clenched tightly together. Worry filled Ashrah, even though she was still angry. The way he was still glaring at her…she wanted to slap him. But at the same time, she was reeling with anxiety. She quickly placed a hand on the man's forehead, then his neck. He was burning up - that was not good.

"Shit," Ashrah growled as she stood, heading for the door. Having a fever was not a good sign - she couldn't help him. They needed to find someone who could help before…

Before what? What did she care if he died? He had been her enemy, and he didn't even want her help. He had it coming. She could just leave him to die. She would find a way to fight Kenshi off, and there she would be. Away, going on with her life. Sounded like a plan to her. She turned to Ermac, expecting to see those eyes still narrowed at her.

But they weren't. She noticed his eyes weren't open at all. They were screwed shut, his jaw still clenched. His breathing was, no matter how hard he seemed to be trying, erratic. Ashrah stood in the doorway, watching. Ermac opened his eyes, seeing her staring at him. He blinked a couple of times, as if he was having trouble focusing.

"…Kenshi," he breathed out. Ashrah was motionless. Speechless, even. She never expected to see Ermac so weak. Why wasn't she moving? She then realized that she wasn't even breathing! All she could do was look at Ermac's muscles do their best not to allow his body to start shaking. It was getting harder, she noticed. He eventually gave up, allowing his body to shiver violently. He sucked in a shaky breath, looking at the woman once again. "Get Kenshi."

Ashrah finally moved. She turned and ran out of the dwelling, hoping the blind man was close. He was, and the demon didn't hesitate to shake him from his meditation. "He has a fever," Ashrah started breathlessly. She hadn't ran that far, why was she out of breath? Surely she couldn't bet _that_ worked up.

Kenshi stood almost instantly. "What?" The man's voice was hard, but worried. He didn't wait for an answer, and started toward the hut. Ashrah followed, not entirely sure why. She could run away then. She didn't need this.

When the two entered the hut, Ermac was sitting up, a hand over his mouth. Kenshi knelt down beside him. "Damn," he paused, pointing toward the opening to another room. "There are blankets in a chest." Ashrah nodded, knowing it was stupid because he couldn't see it, and went to retrieve the mentioned blankets. She came back and laid them beside Kenshi.

"There's a small village a few miles from here. They have a doctor." Kenshi said as he placed the blankets over Ermac's quaking form. He gently pried his hand away from his mouth, and cursed once again. Bright red colored his palm. Ashrah felt herself frown. Kenshi laid his friend down and stood, heading for the door. "I'm going to get him." Ashrah had a feeling she wasn't going to like what was going to be said next.

"I need you to stay here and watch him." The blind man's voice was laced with venom. "You had better make sure he's alright when I come back." Then he was gone. Ashrah stood, speechless for a moment. She then looked down at Ermac.

He seemed to have calmed down slightly, something that brought her relief. Why did she care? She could leave right then. Ashrah sat down beside Ermac, not entirely sure what she should do. So, she watched his chest rise and fall sporadically. At first his breathing was rather quiet, even while wildly not normal. Then his voice started to catch on his breathing. Ashrah was startled, she had grown used to the random rhythm of his breathing, the hollow sound of air.

Ashrah panicked. She grabbed hold of one his hands and gently began stroking it. She didn't know why - it was ridiculous! Ermac's moans, however, quieted. The woman was surprised. She thought that never worked.

Then he started mumbling things. Ashrah didn't catch any coherent words at first, but after a bit she realized what he was saying. She felt slightly guilty for listening in on whatever the fever ridden man was saying, but she had nothing better to do, and how knew? She might find out something interesting.

* * *

(…Ok, that cliffhanger was intentional. This story will get back to being funny, I promise! XD I hope you enjoyed it.)

Red


	6. Chapter 6

(Here's another chapter! Here we go again..)

Don't own a thing.

* * *

Ashrah had been through a lot in her life. She'd _fought_ for her life countless times, even escaped hell. She could handle, or she _thought_ she could handle, anything. Well, handle anything better than the average person - or, in her case, demon.

Having a half un-conscious, multi-souled, delirious man to take care of however, was almost too much. Especially when said man was literally having an argument with himself. Ashrah didn't know what to think of it at first; it was overly...it was just too much. She didn't know how to react.

Then she actually started to _listen _to what he was saying.

It wasn't exactly what she was expecting...

"..is all your fault, you know."

"The hell it is.."

"We can't believe you are so pathetic!" There was a pause, as if Ermac didn't like what he had heard from himself. Ashrah felt her mouth fall open. She _was_ seeing Ermac argue with himself, wasn't she? She wasn't going insane, was she? She continued to watch, hoping the answer would come to her.

"_What_?" Ermac ground out. Ashrah felt the hair on the back of her neck stand. She hadn't heard Ermac sound _that_ angry before. What was she going to do if he started to get physical? Break it up? Before she realized it, she was giggling. The thought of someone fighting themself was...odd. Odd enough to be funny.

It took Ashrah a moment to realize she was being glared at and stopped laughing. When she looked at Ermac's narrowed eyes, however, the giggles returned. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, a voice was telling her that it was no time to be laughing. The man was critically injured and there she was laughing at him! Sure she was a demon, but she didn't enjoy others pain.

She took a deep breath, looking at Ermac again. "You need to rest," Ashrah said as she placed a hand on his shoulder, hoping the gesture was seen as it was meant. "Just clear your head."

Ermac chuckled, wincing afterward, and closed his eyes. "That's..hard when we have a head full of voices.."

"Try anyway." She said as gently as she could, which, wasn't as easy as she thought it would be. Why had the comment pissed her off? Maybe because she _knew_ he had more than one soul and he seemed to think she somehow didn't understand that. She cleared her own head; there was no need to get so defensive, especially when the man could _die_.

Ermac kept his eyes closed, and seemed to concentrate on his breathing. It had gotten better, but not even close to normal. Ashrah watched for...she had no clue how long, but it was a while. Finally, he went to sleep. She sighed, placing a hand on his forehead and frowned. The fever hadn't faded; if anything it had gotten worse.

The demon stood, heading outside. She grabbed a small towel, saw a small stream nearby and dunked the small piece of cloth into the water. It wasn't much, but it was about all she could offer at the moment. She wringed it out and stood. Ashrah felt something akin to disappointment gnaw at the back of her mind as she stared at the small hut. What was she disappointed about? Well, besides the fact that she was practically being forced to watch over someone she didn't particularly care for. That wasn't it, though. That brought more anger than anything.

So what was it? She thought a little bit longer, and then realization hit her. She felt ashamed. Ashrah had wanted to hear something personal about Ermac; her chance being when he was delirious from fever. Instead, he had started arguing with himself…

_What a strange man,_ she paused, not sure if the term _man_ was correct. Maybe _men_ would be better? She didn't know for sure. It was starting to aggravate her, her aggravation giving way to _more_ shame. It was none of her business. Hopefully after Kenshi came back with that doctor she could leave, never seeing either of the strange warriors again.

The thought gave her something to look forward to. Her smile died before it even formed when she stepped into the hut again, however.

Ermac was still. _Too _still. Ashrah dropped the rag and ran to his side, falling to her knees. The impact with the hard, wooden floor and her knees produced a sickening _thwack_ but she ignored it. Awkwardly, she placed her fingers onto his neck, checking for a pulse. She was relieved he still had one, but the sigh would have to wait.

"Ermac," she called as she shook his shoulders. A moan escaped his lips and the sigh she was holding was let loose. Ashrah slumped back onto her hind end, letting her arms keep her upright behind her. She took a moment to gain her composure before deciding to get back up and retrieve the towel she had all but thrown down. She hoped it wasn't dirty from being on the floor.

She got her feet under her, ready to stand, but instead of the one, fluid motion that she always used to stand it was replaced with an unsteady wobbling. Her knees protested, not allowing her to rise any further than half her height, and found herself falling forward.

The demon had less than two seconds to react. She held her arms out, hoping they would support her enough so she wouldn't fall on top of Ermac. The last thing she needed was to kill him…

_That_ was a funny thought…

…but it would have to wait for later. Her plan worked, and her finger tips and toes kept her from landing on the injured man. She resisted the urge to giggle – she was doing that as of late. It looked like she was doing push-ups. Ashrah looked down, noticing her veil wasn't covering her face from Ermac. She then suddenly became self-conscious; she didn't want him to see her, and she didn't know why. Ashrah then felt foolish. He was out cold so his eyes were closed, therefore he couldn't see anything. Simple logic.

Suddenly green was all she saw and logic was nowhere in sight. She was closer to his face than she thought she had been, his eyes that much brighter. Ashrah bit her lip to stop from gasping in surprise. Of _course_ he would wake up when she didn't want him to…in her strange position.

He looked…surprised. Who wouldn't be? She was _on top_ of him. Or, almost. In any case, Ashrah started to move away from him, feeling completely stupid. In their proximity, she randomly noticed his eyes weren't _solid_ green. A slightly darker green outlined where his sclera and pupil were supposed to be, giving him a much more human appearance up close. Ashrah noticed dark lashes flutter against the vivid color – she also noticed she was staring...

He was staring back, seemingly just as fascinated. Her face was open to him. She felt her face begin to warm, quickening her efforts to make distance between herself and him.

"What…"

Ashrah did _not_ want him to finish the question, so she quickly righted herself, sitting on her bottom, being sure to keep off her throbbing knees, and placed the cool rag against his warm skin. He flinched away from the cool cloth, too shocked by the cold touch of the rag to finish his question.

"This should help." She said, not caring how obvious it was that she was trying to change the subject. Ashrah moved the rag to his bare collar bone, hoping absent-mindedly it really was helping in some way. She looked at Ermac's masked face, noting his eyes were shut in an almost serene sort of way. It was helping. Well, maybe not physically, but apparently it felt good.

After a few more moments of the circular motion on his upper chest, Ashrah stopped, thinking he was back to sleep. As she moved the rag away a gloved hand grabbed her wrist. She couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

"Don't stop," he ordered in a heavy voice. Ashrah knew he was out of it; she could tell by the way his words fell out of his mouth.

But she couldn't help but redden at the command. She wanted to slap herself. There was no way in hell she could be attracted to someone she had hated for so long –even if he had spared her life. She wasn't that kind of woman – demon, whatever. She'd never really had anyone she had been romantically involved with, and she liked it that way. Ashrah looked at his long fingers around her thin wrist and felt something flutter in her chest. Black against white…

It was nothing more than surprise. She still couldn't get her head around Ermac – one of the strongest opponents she had ever faced – lying on the floor, not even able to stand on his own. He had always been "the demon" to her; something horrible and evil and stronger than she had imagined.

Her thoughts made her sick.

"I'll be right back. I need a bucket." She removed her wrist from his grip – easier than she thought it was going to be. Not letting that bother her, she stood and headed back to the stream, finding a bucket on her way out of the door.

Ermac watched the woman leave, not knowing how to process his discovery. She didn't look anything like he had first imagined. Dark headed with deep brown eyes and a full pair of lips. No, not the demon he was expecting. He had seen a glimpse of it when he fought her, but that seemed like ages ago. She was so…human.

Far more human than he was.

He began to shake his head but thought better of it. The last thing he wanted was to get sick from too much movement. Nausea had made itself present, probably due to the constant dizziness brought on by the fever. Ermac looked at his hand, forming a weak fist. His hand had acted on its own. He was so disoriented…

A sudden shiver wracked his body and he did his best not to curl up. He wished Kenshi would hurry up; he was having trouble staying conscious.

Ashrah stepped back into the hut with a bucket full of water and the rag draped over the side of it. She knelt down beside him again, wringing the water out into the bucket. The cold cloth touched his forehead and he did his best not to flinch like he had the first time. It helped him concentrate on something besides the pain in his sides and the dizziness in his head. He felt his breath grow steady and for a moment he was almost comfortable.

Cool, slender fingers brushed against bare skin, and Ermac shivered. The comfortable moment had passed, but he was craving that cool touch. It helped keep the nausea at bay, and cleared his head. He swallowed, noting how dry his throat had become.

He coughed, not ready for the sensation, and realized too late that he couldn't stop coughing. He sat up. Panic tried to take him, but he quickly regained himself. After a few more coughs, he stopped. His sides were beyond hurting; he could only sit there, clenching the fabric of his pants legs. He heard Ashrah say something, but didn't think it important enough to find out what.

"Dammit," Ashrah spat out as she leaned forward, placing her hands on his back. "That blind bastard better get here soon…"

If Ermac didn't know any better, she sounded as if she was concerned.

The thought was short lived, however. He felt his body sway, and everything went black.

Kenshi felt his chest tighten with every step. The blind man easily dodged trees, stones and the occasional animal. He had found the doctor – Taro, as the small village called him – and was headed back to his hut. The older man's arms were securely around Kenshi's neck. The geezer couldn't make the trip up the mountain fast enough, so the warrior had thrown him on his back and told him to hang on. He had never carried anyone this way, and would have felt foolish if it weren't for the fact that his best friend was in deep trouble.

The older man shifted slightly, Kenshi feeling it in his shoulder blades. "How much longer? I don't know how much more I can take…" Kenshi would have rolled his eyes if he still had them, but kept his tone as gentle as possible.

"We're practically there." Just as the last word left his mouth, he could feel the hut close by – being blind gave him strange senses. He could sense familiar people, places and things, even if he wasn't touching and or talking to them. Being blind had its advantages.

But eyesight would be nice…

Kenshi entered his hut and gently placed the doctor on the floor. "How is he?" Kenshi sensed something was wrong, and bit his bottom lip. The woman was holding Ermac's limp form up, apparently having difficulty. Kenshi took the unconscious man from her and laid him down.

"He…just fell out." Ashrah said in a quiet but apprehensive voice.

"Well, come do your stuff." Kenshi said to the doctor without turning his head. The older man walked to Ermac, pulling out bag. As he got to work, Kenshi moved aside, taking a seat in the corner of the room, listening to the doctor's movements. He could hear Ashrah move to the other side of the room, not sitting down.

The rest of the evening consisted of the quiet sounds of the doctor operating on his new patient.

* * *

(…well, that wasn't as funny as I anticipated. Uh, it'll get funnier next chapter? J I hope you all enjoyed it and want to find out what happens! If not, that's ok. lol It is really hard writing in a blind man's POV, btw. So if I get anything wrong, bear with me!)

Red


	7. Chapter 7

(I'm no medical expert, so bear with me. lol I have no idea how to fix broken ribs (that doesn't mean send me a review/message telling me how! lol! It'd be nice to know, but...yeah. Watch me break my ribs now...eek..) :P)

(Still don't own a thing.)

* * *

Ermac felt something pushing against his rib cage but felt no pain. Whispers of warning told him something was wrong. He ignored them, tried to move and found he couldn't. The whispers grew louder. What was going on?

Whatever was pushing against his rib cage dug deeper into his middle and something moved accompanied by a small snapping noise. Ermac felt his eyes open before the pain slammed through his body. He shrunk away from the protruding...whatever it was, gasping for air. He barely registered the something pushing into his side had removed itself.

Doing his best to calm down, Ermac tried to take deeper breaths. After a few he realized it wasn't helping and began panting again. If only everything was as easy as meditation. He would clear his head, take deep breaths and fall in a state where he felt nothing...

Ermac felt the same push against his ribs but didn't have the energy to stop it. It was just above the spot it was before. The telekenetic warrior realized then that someone was must have been working on his ribs. There was no relief - he didn't feel in danger, just confused. Knowing it was someone helping didn't help the fact that everytime they set a rib Ermac felt like curling up and dying.

The hand - he didn't know whose it was - dug in deeper and the muffled snapping sounded off again. Ermac didn't flinch this time however. Now he was in more control of his body. One thing he practiced regularly was self control, bringing his thoughts back to meditation. He'd started the practice to further advance his skills, then found that he rather enjoyed it. Of course, that was only when he could find the time. So after finding liberation from Kahn, Ermac found the idea of meditating whenever he liked...nice.

That was, of course, _after _the horrible images - he refused to call them nightmares - stopped plaguing him. There had been a period of time, shortly after meeting Kenshi, that Ermac couldn't sleep, much less meditate. (He never told Kenshi about it, and never would.) Working for Shao Kahn meant killing - sometimes just tormenting - innocents.

The images wouldn't have been as bad if Ermac didn't have one hundred souls reacting one hundred different ways inside him. He never really had been the sympathetic type - or, not since he was created, whatever he was. Ermac pushed those thoughts aside for, well, never. What made the images so hard to take was that he had some of his own victims' souls in his body. The warrior had spent one full day trying to keep himself from crying, the next from laughing and the next few trying to stay alive from the murderous headaches. Self control was _definately _something Ermac had perfected. Kenshi didn't suspect a thing. Or he was really good at hiding that he did.

...Then he thought back to the last couple of days.

His self control had been...lacking. Ermac still thought the woman had something to do with it. He was fine - or, as fine as he could be - until he met up with her. The she-demon must have done something to him. Her presence caused Ermac, for lack of a better word, trouble.

Another snap. Ermac allowed his eyebrow to twitch on that one. How many ribs had he broken?

"That's the last one," Taro said, patting his hands against his thighs. Ashrah watched the old man carefully as he stood, which he barely managed to do _with _the help of Kenshi. How had such a fragile creature so masterfully set broken ribs? The old doctor didn't seem to have the strength to even stand.

And the method he had used...she had never seen it before. It looked as if he was just poking Ermac's side, then he pressed a little deeper and there would be a _snap_. Ashrah wanted to ask where he had learned such a technique, but decided against it. It was just curiousity; she'd never be able to use it on anyone. She was a demon, not a healer.

The procedure had seemed painful. Ashrah glanced down at Ermac's laying form, remembering how he had jerked away from the doctor's hand at first. She still wasn't used to seeing such a skilled warrior seem so weak...

Ashrah should have been proud of herself; she had injured _the _Ermac. The same being who served under Shao Kahn as one of his most feared warriors. There were no feelings of pride, however. She just wanted to leave and never see him again. The feeling was...strange. Being around Ermac had made her realize how weak she was, which made her rather depressed. So, Ashrah decided she would always associate Ermac with depression, therefore making her feel the need to never see him again.

Wow. She was losing it.

"He'll be alright then?" Kenshi's voice penetrated Ashrah's rather whacky thoughts. She looked expectantly at the doctor.

He sighed, but nodded. "Yes. Just have him _stay down_ for the next few days - a week at _least_." Ashrah looked back at Kenshi, wondering what his reaction would be. Would he be annoyed that he had to care for Ermac? Even if they were friends, the man must have had something better to do.

Kenshi had really nice teeth, matching a just as nice smile. He was fairly attractive for a human Ashrah guessed. Why was she looking at a human that way? She really was losing it. "Ermac's not going to like that," he said as he headed for the door. Ashrah was only slightly surprised. She remembered the conversation she had with Ermac about Kenshi; apparently their friendly feelings were mutal. Of course, Ashrah figured that out by the way Kenshi ran off to retrieve the doctor.

The doctor looked slightly irratated. "It doesn't matter what he likes." Kenshi laughed, placing a hand on the older man's back as they both walked outside.

"I know. Don't worry, we'll handle it."

Ashrah felt her fingers dig into her palm. _We_?

"Watch him until I get back," Kenshi said just before he dissapeared from view.

She stood there, feeling her anger start to boil over. She had never been so out of it as she had the last couple of days. It was Ermac's fault. If he wouldn't have stolen her sword...Ashrah stopped, realizing he _hadn't _stole it.

_Damn._

Ok, if he wouldn't have been the one _holding her sword when she saw him_ none of what had happened would have happened. Ashrah felt her teeth grind into each other as she found herself staring at Ermac's form. She could kill him then...

But didn't that go against what she was working so hard to stop? She wanted to be _good_. Killing a defensless man went against that. She was not the demon she used to be.

She could run away. Kenshi couldn't catch her by the time he returned. That was what she was going to do; run. She looked around cautiously as she headed for the door. What made Kenshi so sure she wouldn't leave? It was odd, because he didn't seem foolish enough to be the trusting type.

Ashrah would leave then. She didn't care about Ermac - unless he was going to kill her, other than that though, she didn't care. Ashrah watched out for herself and herself alone. There wasn't anyone else _to_ care about in her life. Another depressing thought...

Just as she took a step out of the door, a thought crossed Ashrah's mind. Ermac had seen her face. It wasn't _that_ big of a problem, it just...bothered her. Ashrah slowly turned around, questioning her sanity once again.

Before she knew what she was doing, she found herself kneeling beside the unconscious figure. Or, she _hoped_ he was unconscious. Ignoring that thought, she gently grabbed the end of his face wrapping. Ashrah gave it a small tug, realizing it was _behind_ his head. The part he was _laying_ on. She thought of a plan as she glared at the man. She wondered if he would wake up if she lifted his head...

It was weird, holding his head in her hand. He could wake up any minute...

He didn't, though. Ashrah found where the wrapping was tied and began undoing the knot with her free hand. A few moments later she was unwrapping. After a few moments she began to see the bridge of his nose and felt...strange. She stopped, realizing how bad she felt about what she was doing. Apparently the _Kris_ had more of an affect on her than she first thought. That wasn't a bad thing, she just felt even worse for thinking it was! She really was going insane. She had to leave.

Ashrah, without putting the wrappings back in place, gently placed Ermac's head back on the floor, brushed off her pants and walked out the door.

Ermac lifted his arm to wrap his face back up, but found he hadn't the energy. Damn woman...

* * *

(That was a...strange chapter I admit. It's not the end though, oh no. :) They'll meet again. Soon, too. lol

I don't see Kenshi as being so trusting, either. He just wanted to see if she actually stayed. He'll walk in and see she hadn't. It's not a problem because he knew Ermac woud be fine. Wow...a little more on Kenshi's thought process...sorta. :) This chapter's written weird, too...I dunno. I need to stop babbling; no one reads this!)

Red


	8. Chapter 8

(Long time no update! And for that, I am terribly sorry. I've just been busy with school and whatnot. Same old, same old. Anyway! Thank you all who reviewed/read the last chapter, it was much appreciated. Oh, and I hate doing this, it's like I'm calling someone out but I'm not! About the quick-fix rib thing and the doctor, I actually just wanted a quick fix…lol I didn't feel like going through the entire healing process – guess I didn't have to, I could've done a short time skip or something…)

(Oh, whoa, that was getting a little too long! lol I tend to do "quick-fixes" on occasion, so bear with me! I'll shy away from them from now on, though. :) And this chapter was helped created by _Embolden Rose_'s latest chapter to her story, _Eyes Of The Beholder_. I simply loved one part in it and I hope she doesn't mind if I kinda.._borrow_ it? ;D)

I don't own a thing.

* * *

It was almost hard to leave Kenshi. He had been there for two days after Ashrah – that damned woman – had left. Ermac found that he couldn't say the words that he had repeated in his head all morning. He had never had such a hard time saying anything. Honestly, he had always been rather blunt, something, or rather _another_ thing, Kenshi teased him about.

_You're either completely silent or telling me what I'm doing wrong!_

Ermac wasn't the best pep-talker…so naturally he didn't give open praise. To anyone. Even, or, _especially_ Kenshi. The blind man didn't need it, for he would make some sort of joke about it, and Ermac didn't want to hear any more jokes about himself. As good a man as Kenshi was, Ermac didn't like being laughed at by him…

"Ermac?" Kenshi's voice was rather startling, so Ermac tried to keep his reaction to a few rapid blinks instead of the flinch his body wanted. He looked over at the blind man, who was working on building a fire in the small pit in the center of the room.

There was a short pause, and Ermac realized his friend wanted a response. Steeling himself, he began saying the words he had recited four times now.

"We are grateful for your – "

Kenshi waved his hand dismissively, closing Ermac's mouth. "You can leave whenever you feel like." He stood, stretching his back and shoulders. "We know each other well enough to not worry about such things, don't you think?"

Ermac rolled that around in his head for a moment. Kenshi was right, of course. They had trained and lived together for quite a while. Or, long enough for two people to become friends with each other. Suddenly feeling slightly foolish, he searched for a suitable answer.

"You are right. We just feel as if you have done too much for us."

Kenshi paused what he was doing, was silent for a moment, and then sighed. "Ermac, you _know_ I don't mind. So don't even start with that."

Ermac didn't know how to respond to that. So, he stood and waited on Kenshi to say something else.

It took him a moment, but he finally did. "It was no problem, really. You'd have done the same for me. And on top of that, you've done plenty for me anyway." He paused, clearly sensing Ermac's unease and changed direction. "Come by and see me again, sometime soon – but next time, no injuries, ok?"

Ermac smiled underneath his mask, nodding his head even if his friend couldn't see it. It was hard to remember Kenshi was blind sometimes. "We will."

* * *

The start of the journey was alright…

…until it starting raining.

Ermac had never seen rain come down so hard. Anywhere. Did Earthrealm always have torrential downpours or was this just a particularly bad storm? It wasn't even _cloudy_ when he left Kenshi's hut!

He felt his clothing stick to his skin. Not just his top, not just his boots,_ all_ of his clothing was soaked. The mud, he decided, wasn't helping either. The further he walked the higher up his pants it dirtied. There was even one moment where he had to bodily _resist_ the urge to throw a fit. Ermac, at that point, realized he needed some way to calm himself.

Ermac looked around, seeing nothing but dark trees and a lot of other foliage. He could meditate to calm himself down – not a long session, just enough to sort out his fraying nerves.

He didn't feel like searching for something to shelter himself in, he decided. So, he sat where he was standing – it didn't matter if his back side got muddy or not, it practically already was, and the rain would probably wash it all soon enough anyway – crossed his legs, and shut his eyes.

At first it was hard to concentrate with the thunderous rain hitting the ground. After a few moments, however, he began to use the sound to his advantage. The sound of the water helped him focus his mind on something other than how frustrated, and wet, he was. Funny how that worked out…

It felt _wonderful_ to just sit and meditate after the last few days events. He let his mind clear, his body relax; meditating gave him so much _more_ than sleep could. While asleep he had no control over anything. When meditating, he could control _everything_ and not worry about…things. Things he had to worry about while unconscious.

Ermac didn't know where those thoughts came from, but they were bothering him and he wanted them to stop. He tried to clear his head again, but was finding it increasingly difficult.

Then, out of nowhere, a certain disturbing thought made itself present.

_What did Ashrah hear when we were delirious?_ Ermac's eyes shot open, his heart began to race and he had to control his breathing. It took him a moment to wrap his head around the question. What _if_ she saw or heard something? Did it matter? Why was he reacting this way?

_We need to calm down_, Ermac thought as he took a deep breath. So what if she had heard something? It didn't matter; he probably was never going to see her again. _Hopefully _never see her again…

Ermac shifted uncomfortably, suddenly feeling exposed. He had always had trouble _actually_ sleeping – for obvious reasons. It became even worse after he was free of Shao Kahn. So meditation was a close replacement. Sure he slept sometimes, but not every night like normal beings…

_Normal_, a word he had been having trouble with for some time now. What did it matter? What was normal anyway? He used to think it was _normal_ to murder innocent people. _Normal _to take souls. Fear was _normal_.

Then, after he was free –or, free from Kahn anyway – he had begun to ponder what the word _really _meant. Maybe it just depended on one's current situation. Now normal for him was wandering around with no real place to go. Sure, he would visit Kenshi every now and again, but it wasn't like having a place to _belong_. Kenshi had his own plans, goals. Ermac didn't want to interfere.

So having someone – especially a stranger –actually _witness_ his abnormality – like he was abnormal enough by _appearance_ – left him feeling…_bare_. He had made sure to never let Kenshi see him while he was asleep. It would probably make Kenshi question his friend's sanity.

_How sane can one be in our current…state?_ Ermac was getting angrier by the second. He needed to stop thinking about this. He needed to clear his head.

And all of sudden, he felt _cold_. He couldn't think of anything except how cold his body was. He couldn't even feel the rain anymore. He _saw_ it, but couldn't _feel _it. There was a moment of pure aggravation as Ermac pressed his palms into the mud to push himself up. He was glad when he found himself standing, even if he could barely feel it through the numbing cold.

"Dammit," he said louder than he intended. A _lot_ louder than he intended. He had _yelled_ it. The telekinetic warrior let his head hang, his arms going slack. Ermac didn't see anything for a good minute.

He was losing it. Who wouldn't, having so many souls in one vessel? It was getting harder and harder to keep _himself_ together.

But really, who was _he_? _Himself_? "He" was a conglomeration of many – so by no means was he an individual. But he had his own thoughts – even if they _were_ filled with other voices. He had his own beliefs – even if the voices _helped_ make his decisions.

Ermac didn't even care about the cold anymore. He suddenly didn't care about anything. He just stood there, letting the rain soak his _already_ soaked form.

"No, no, _no_!" A woman's – a _familiar_ woman's –frantic voice shattered the relative silence of the rain, and Ermac jerked his head in the direction of the shouting – no, screaming. The sound was almost unsettling, coming from her…Shaking that thought out of his head, he looked up a large hill, a rather _steep _hill, realizing he hadn't…well, noticed it before. He took a moment to let his eyes search for the expected white figure.

It only took moments for the said white figure to make herself _seen_. Ermac stood there, staring blankly. He still felt too drained from his recent realization to notice how fast Ashrah was coming down the hill.

But he would.

* * *

Ashrah had been walking for a good two days and had found herself _lost_. She had never been to Earthrealm, so she had no idea what to expect. Of course, there wasn't much. A few small animals ran across her path, but nothing that could harm her.

She hadn't expected to get _lost_, though. Not that she knew how she was going to get out of Earthrealm…

She had been wandering around, hoping to find _someone_ to help her. When no one was found, she just walked, zombie-like in the forest. An upside was that food was in abundance. The small fury animals were tough as leather, but it was meat, and she needed the energy.

Then the rain came. Ashrah was, for lack of a better word, _pissed_. It was the hardest rain she had ever experienced. Actually, it was rather ridiculous.

Her clothes were _soaked_. She was shivering, and her hair had fallen out of its bun. To make it worse, the band she had kept her hair up with had fallen off at some point and now her hair was sticking to her face and neck. Luckily it wasn't too long – just above her shoulders – but it was long enough to get on her already raw nerves.

"This is just great,_" _she hissed as she shoved a bush out of her way. She glanced down at herself, cursing loudly. White was _not_ the ideal color to wear while it was raining…for, of course, obvious reasons.

Ashrah didn't care though. No one was around anyway! She could go around _naked_ if she wanted –

She yelped as her foot slipped in a puddle of mud. She would have fallen, if it weren't for the tree she had grabbed onto. She looked ahead, or, _down_. A steep hill lay ahead of her. Ashrah stared at it for a good minute before making a decision. She hadn't been _that_ way before, and what could it hurt? She was already hopelessly lost…

With all of her training, one would think a hill, even while steep, would be no problem.

But it was muddy, and wet, and getting wetter. Ashrah had to practically grab from tree to tree to keep from slipping down the hill.

_What if there's a cliff down there? Or a river? _She stopped, realizing how foolish her decision was. She looked up the hill where she had just come from.

She could make it back up, she was _sure_.

Just as she grabbed for the closest tree going _up_, her hand slipped and she felt panic pull at her – or was that gravity?

"No, no, _no_!" She shouted – no, _screamed_. She hated the feeling of falling, and no one could hear her scream anyway, so it wasn't so embarrassing.

She realized a little too late that she was not holding onto anything and she did her best to turn herself around and begin running down the hill. Surely she could run down a hill without falling…

Her feet slipped from under her and she felt her butt hit the ground, _hard_. Then she felt herself slipping forward.

Ashrah screamed bloody murder, her pitch getting higher as she gained speed.

_I'm gonna die! There's gonna be a cliff, or a ravine, or a river or a big something with its mouth wide open and I'm gonna die! Oh, by the Elder gods!_ Ashrah squeezed her eyes shut as these thoughts and more raced through her mind.

Suddenly, she felt her body stop.

Cautiously, she opened one eye.

She was shocked to see a pair of familiar bright green eyes through the grey, heavy rain. They seemed…distant? Blank? She saved those thoughts for later as she realized she was floating in the air. Ashrah panicked.

"Put me _down_," she yelled, not meaning to. She couldn't help it, though, for some reason. Ermac did as he was told, his outstretched hand slowly falling to his side, his eyes staying flat. Ashrah felt her bottom hit the ground and she was glad. She stood, with some difficultly, and stared at the red-garbed warrior in front of her.

At first she was going to get angry, saying how he was following her, but then she looked at his face again and thought better of it. The accusation would be lost on deaf ears. She knew that look. She didn't know from where, but she had seen it enough to know that it wasn't something to ignore. So, she settled on saying something else.

"Thank you…" It was awkward, but it was meant. Ashrah watched for a reaction. She only got a nod. Should she just walk off? Yes. She should, because Ermac pissed her off and she did the same to him.

_Then why did he help you?_ She felt her eyebrows furrow on that one. That was a good question. He had saved her before, too. Even if he was the one who had put her in danger, he had saved her all the same. So, could she just leave him while he was looking that way?

_Sure ya can_. As much as that sounded like a good idea, Ashrah knew better.

She would stay – _but_, only long enough to get to where she was going.

"So, where are you headed?"

* * *

(And so they're back together. lmao! Yeah, sorry for the long wait. :) I hope to get back into this, and my other MK story. I've been thinkin' a whole lot about it lately…So there might be more soon. I hope so, anyway.

Yeah, this chapter was really fun to write. The beginning's kinda rocky, I think, but when I got to Ermac by himself it started to go along better. I've always thought it would absolutely suck to have to share a body with others. :( It's kinda sad, so I ran along with that idea for a little bit. Ermac, as I see him, is strong, but he's been dealing with this for so long, it starts to run him down. Who can blame him?

And then there's Ashrah… lol She is so fun to write this way. I can see her getting mad about a lot of things. ;D Hot headed, if you will. She is so confused…ha ha, but that's a good thing! 'Specially for Ermac! Well, maybe, if they can learn to see each other as good guys! 'Cuz they are, at this point anyway. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it and tell me what ya think!)

Sorry for the long A/N!

Red


	9. Chapter 9

(A/N: Sorry for the long wait again! :( I've been busy…I haven't even been keeping up with the stories on my alert list! T.T I need to get back into FF…So, here we go! :) Let's hope this will be the katalyst (get it? LOL) to get my unmotivated rear to writing again!)

Don't own a thing!

* * *

The rain had stopped, but the clouds stayed put. Ashrah could feel herself sink lower and lower – not just in the mud, either. The dreary weather, Ermac's silence, her clothes being soaked –

She gave herself a study. She was glad she was wearing undergarments otherwise Ermac would be getting an eyeful. Ashrah was so repulsed by the idea that she wasn't even embarrassed by it. She was sure Ermac couldn't read minds, so that was something to be happy about.

_He'd probably think I'd _want_ him to see through my wet clothes._ Ashrah chanced a glance at her silent companion.

_Or, not._

Ermac had that same look on his face from when she first recovered from the hill incident; a look Ashrah couldn't describe. It was more than sad but less than despaired. She really wanted to know what was bothering him, knowing it was none of her business but wanting to know anyway. The longer she thought about it, the stronger the urge became. _Why_ was she _so_ stupid? _Why_ couldn't she be one of those women who were silent to the point of being stoic?

Before she could answer these self-asked questions, Ashrah was asking a new one. Out loud.

"Are you all right?"

By the Elder gods, could she have asked anything less _stupid_?

Ermac turned his head, his eyes ever giving off that eerie green glow. "If you are referring to our ribs, then yes, we are all right." His voice was a lot softer than Ashrah was expecting. It wasn't a gentle voice, more like a subdued one. Now Ashrah was _really_ wanting to know what was troubling him.

"I mean, you seem…never mind." She didn't want to sound like a complete idiot, so she, for once, was going to keep her mouth shut. Ashrah stared at the ground, hoping Ermac would let it drop, too.

Of _course_ he didn't. "We seem what? You don't know us well enough to ask if something is the matter." _Now_ there was a bite to his words – the tone Ashrah was familiar with – and Ashrah could feel her anger begin to rise.

"I know when someone, regardless if I _know_ them or not, is not happy."

"We are not happy?"

Ashrah growled. "Clearly, _Ermac_, you're not in the best of spirits."

Ermac slowed his pace, matching steps with Ashrah. Now they were walking side by side, making Ashrah uncomfortable. There was a part of her that still didn't trust the strange warrior…

"Elaborate," was all he said as he stared straight into her eyes. Ashrah tried to control the temperature of her face as she stared back, not wanting to seem weak and look away from his stare. Clearly he was testing her, or trying to make her look foolish. Probably both! But who was he to test her?

No one, as far as the she-demon was concerned. Ashrah gave her best glare – which wasn't much, considering she was soaking wet and covered in mud – and began to _elaborate_.

"Your face, for one thing," Ashrah pointed at his face, noting how his eyes followed her index finger as it rose to his eye level. She tried not to laugh when she saw his eyes had crossed for a second. It was a rather…_silly_ thing, she decided. She pulled herself from her amused thoughts when she realized she had started a sentence without finishing it. "Your face is cast downward, as if you're frowning."

"You do not know if we are frowning or not,"

"I can tell by the rest of your face."

"Are you certain? Maybe we have a strange face; you have never actually seen it."

Ashrah was _not_ going to admit he had a good point. Strange face or not, she doubted it was so strange that half of it seemed sad and the other seemed happy. That was ridiculous!

"As true as that is, your point is stupid."

It was silent for a moment.

"…and why is our point _stupid_?"

Ashrah growled, turning her head away. "I'm going to stop."

She could still feel Ermac's gaze on her. "Why?"

"So that I don't beat the _hell_ out of you!" She was a lot more frayed than she first thought – she never got this worked up! Well, not about something as trivial as a conversation anyway. She felt her cheeks burn, and cursed under her breath. "…ugh! Now you've got me angry!"

The strange sound of Ermac's laugh dissolved any anger Ashrah had. She looked at him, not knowing what to expect. Was he going to call her foolish? _She_ would. It seemed to be the action Ermac would take in such a situation. The warrior didn't seem the type find humor in many things, even Ashrah's childish outbursts…which, Ashrah noticed with a good bit of uneasiness, were becoming more frequent as of late.

It was Ermac's fault, though, so she couldn't be blamed.

"You do not act like we thought one such as yourself would." Ermac was very _chatty_ at the moment, which made Ashrah rather uncomfortable. He didn't seem the type – here she was assuming again – to _want_ to talk to people he didn't really know. She wanted to know what was bothering him, but no because she was worried. She was just…curious. Ermac wasn't the typical warrior, he had more than one soul in his body. What kind of problems did that pose? If _any_? Was that what he was troubled about? Or was it something completely different?

Was it wrong of her to want to know?

"Is something wrong?" Ermac's words pulled Ashrah from her musings and she gave him a hard look.

She steeled herself, hoping she wasn't pushing at some boundary that wasn't meant to be pushed. "Forget it, I'm over it. Is something _bothering _you? I haven't known you long, yes, but I can tell there is something on your mind."

Ermac stared at the cloud filled sky and Ashrah didn't know if he was thinking of a suitable answer or ignoring her. After a minute – Ashrah counted sixty seconds – he finally said something.

"It is…personal," and that was it, in a flat voice no less, before he quickened his pace, keeping just ahead of her. Ashrah frowned, feeling more than idiotic –

She felt that she _needed_ to know. A funny feeling had settled in her stomach, and she trusted herself enough to know when she was right. Ashrah would wait a little while before asking again. She didn't owe Ermac a damn thing.

But if she was going to preserve her ideas, her _goals_, she needed to make an effort. Even if she didn't have the _Kris_, she still had the urge to do right, the same urge that had started her whole transformation. Ermac had also made a change, and that was more than enough of a reason to help him, whatever he was going through.

Ashrah felt stupid for a moment. What if it was nothing? What if _nothing was wrong_? The gut feeling persisted, and she was sure it wasn't hunger. _Yeah, something's wrong…or, it's about to get wrong_.

Ashrah felt water running down her face. It was raining again.

* * *

(A/N: Umm…yeah. Ermac seems kinda conflicting here, huh? I'm sorry! It's just…oh, you'll see when I update next! lol I have to admit this chapter didn't give you much...*ahem* Ermac's been thinking too much, or maybe he's been living with himself too long, but he's starting to _feel_ it, whatever it is. Emoness, I know…humor's still here, though! Don't worry. Ashrah's here for that. :) She's got some conflicting emotions going on, too…if ya haven't noticed..She'll keep it interesting and keep Ermac from going crazy! Or, drive him crazier, I'm not sure where she wants to go with this yet…;)

'Til next chapter!


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